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Welcome to my FlamingFurnace, backyard metal casting blog.

Hi everyone, I mainly focus on metal casting projects using recycled scrap aluminum and other accessories in the pattern creations.

Aluminum is a very versatile material and I would like to promote the awareness of aluminum recycling via different metal casting projects.

Feel free to check my YouTube channel where I provide detailed explanations, tips & tutorials for best backyard aluminum casting methods, homemade foundry equipment & of course the importance of safety when working with molten aluminum.

So remember recycle and Enjoy my blog ;-)

Monday, January 24, 2011

Aluminum ingots for the foundry

In this post I will focus on the making of aluminum ingots. The process of making the ingots is very simple all you need is a metal container that will hold the molten metal and will not break under the high temperature. After the aluminum is melted in the crucible and all dross is skimmed off it is ready to be poured into the metal container. I personally don't mix between the aluminum alloys only if they are from the same source of aluminum. I mark every ingot what his origin alloy is from.As for the ingot container any metal container is good depending how big you want the ingot to be, don't forget it has to be fitted into the crucible.Big aluminum parts could be broken with a heavy hammer so they will fit into the crucible. Another option is heating the aluminum parts in an open fire until the aluminum is soft enough to be broken easily.Another very important thing is always work with a dry ingot container and preheat the container before pouring the molten metal to prevent it from "poping" into your face and of course use full body protection gear while handling molten metal. I made a few large ingots using simple tin cans. It is very easy to cut them open in one vertical slice and after just to peal the sides off. Gloves are good to have to prevent cuts from the sharp edges.Simple example for making a re-usable ingot tray is to weld a few L bars together or just using a tin muffin tray (Not aluminum). It all depends on what size of ingot is desired and how much molten metal is going to be poured into ingots.Before you know it you will have a pile of aluminum ingots ready for some quality sand casting............ Good luck... and work safe ;-)First clip pouring round aluminum ingots:

This is just a follow up post for my aluminum foundry flask casting progress. The first four parts of my flask cope are casted, at this st...

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Safety:• Always wear appropriate safety gear when handling molten metal.• Make sure you have adequate skills and experience to construct the project.• These projects are not intended for use by children.• Wear appropriate safety gear fire retardant clothing, face shield, furnace gloves,safety toe shoes and use caution.• Do not melt aluminum cans. Can metal is covered in vinyl to protect the can from the contents.

• Never pour any liquid on molten metal.

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